The Whorl

2,400 XP = Total 15,260 XP (Level 6)

Father, I don't know if you can hear me down here… I don't know if you can hear me at all, frankly, but what the hell. I'm in some pretty deep shit at the moment. I told you that I'd fallen in with some adventurer-types from Videha, and that they were apparently looking into the same ancient machine-ruins that the Emperor's people sent me and my team to explore. I told you how I joined their team to try to make good on my failed mission. After all, it wouldn't do to return to Ayodhya empty handed.

Well, after defeating the undead at this cool Archive of ancient high elves frozen in stone, we all headed into the deep desert. Our guide, Panja, took us a bit duskward of the Fist to check on the only settlement in the area known to accept guests, a village of the Forged called Coil. We arrived to find five Forged corpses and no sign of anyone else. Panja found an undead monstrosity of some sort buried at the botton of the weird sand pit at the center of the village. Uncle Xedris proved his worth again by pulling up some really obscure knowledge about an arcane experiment done some two and a half thousand years ago by a crazy wizard named Sathish, some sort of living abomination known as a "beholder", and how they were used as living weapons in Mithila's war against the Cult of the Risen Son way back then.

Gotta say, these guys work pretty well together. Uncle Xedris filled the pit with fog forcing the undead "beholder" to pop up where it could be seen by everyone. Damn, what an ugly thing. Panja summoned a storm and started blasting it with lightning. Saatvik rapidly identified the Forged corpses as Forged zombies which kept us from being surprised… in all, the fight went pretty well. I certainly did my part to help. When the undead beholder was finally killed, though, something really awful popped out of it… some sort of… not-quite-real undead spirit thing burning with blue fire. I risked revealing my true parentage with a bit of fire magic, but they didn't seem to notice, fortunately, and the thing was eventually dissipated.

The Coil activated… apparently the pit was some sort of… portal? We were all too polite to inquire. Apparently most of the Forged had fled into it when the beholder and a swarm of undead scarabs attacked, but the beholder had some sort of magic-deadening ability that sealed the Coil and kept them trapped. Killing it released them. They were kinda pissed, of course, and seven of them joined our quest.

So far so good, right? Now we were 13 badasses heading to the Fist to take on the undead. We arrived and we scoped it out all patient and sneaky-like. I got to spend nearly two days in the company of Tavi Agarwal. I can't say I've ever really met a gnome before. She's really neat. We saw a party of six of the undead construct-things like we saw at the Archive leave with a big swarm of undead bugs. The next night we saw one of them leave with another swarm due dawn-ward. I have no idea what's in that direction. We figured now was the time to make our push, and in we went.

It was really creepy. Last time I was here undead poured out of the gaps in the plating on the Fist, but this time we clambered down the Arm and into the buried Titan without encountering anything… until we found the source of all those damn bugs. Apparently whoever is in charge around here captured one of the Suryan scarabs, like the one I saw at the Archive. It was bound to some elaborate machinery that forced it to lay eggs constantly while killing the baby scarabs with overdoses of necrotic energy. The big scarab was pretty fucked up looking. Panja tried to talk to it, but it was apparently a lost cause. We had to put it down… and then put it down again when it rose into undeath.

That's when we all started smashing the elaborate machinery, and waves of random magical energy started blasting around, and one of the waves hit me, and… um… my usual disguise fell, and everyone saw my red skin and my horns and my wings. I tried to play it off like "Oh no, that magical energy balefully polymorphed me into a demon-thing!" but apparently they weren't buying it.

Jeez, you'd think these guys had never seen a Cambion before… well, maybe they haven't. I guess things are different in Videha. They freaked the fuck out, started threatening to kill me… I had lost my protection against necrotic and I was slowly dying while they interrogated me, which was frustrating, I mean, how could they possibly know if I was telling the truth or lying? Well, that is, until Saatvik cast a zone of truth.

I told them I hadn't lied to them. I really was part of an expedition to find treasure in the Titan, I just hadn't mentioned who my boss's BOSS was. Yes, my expedition was hired by a guy who worked for a guy who worked for a guy who worked for the Emperor. I was actually pretty surprised at how negatively they viewed the Emperor. I mean, I get why Pandava was upset, but what did His Highness ever do to these guys? They seemed to think he was their personal enemy or something ridiculous like that. They sure spread a lot of anti-Ayodhyan propaganda around Mithila if these guys' reaction is anything to go by. I was seriously tempted to do another bug-out like I had to do when I lost my first team, but I was SO CLOSE. Eventually they agreed not to murder me, that my help might come in handy, that I genuinely want to find the source of these undead and destroy it, etc. etc.

But I gotta say, once we finish that, I'm not sure that these guys aren't going to just try to take me out. I might be seeing you sooner rather than later. Sigh. I hope I at least get SOMETHING I can tell the boss's boss.

Anyway, I know there's not a lot you can do to influence Empire politics at the moment, but hey, I figure a kid can ask right?

2,300 XP = Total 12,860 XP

Great Mother,

I commune with you in this hour of darkness. Many of my stone charges have been shattered, my Archive assaulted and damaged, yet I live and my task remains before me.

The Siblings came, leading a pack of gnolls who had given over their flesh as hives for undead scarabs. The Siblings wore different bodies than the ones you showed me in your memories, but it was unmistakeably them. The craft of their dread carcasses has improved, but not so much that they could not be defeated by a daring and dedicated assault by a small force familiar to the both of us.

It would seem that Sanjaya Pandava's companions returned rather sooner than anticipated, much to my good fortune. I will dedicate a drop of blood to Jyestha in recompense for her sister's favor. They slew the scarab infestation with the aid of Pandava's odd familiar then slew the remaining gnolls and the animate flesh constructs worn by the Siblings. They will return, of course… they always do. But hopefully this will inconvenience them somewhat.

They stayed with me for some time. Saatvik and Panja in particular were of great help in repairing the broken, although some will doubtless be unrecoverable… tiny fractures, flaws, breaks in vital parts too immediate to heal upon thawing. Still, much more could have been lost if not for them.

Their goal, however, was the Professor. They had questions, but feared the possession of the Emperor. After a good deal of care and elaborate precautions, it was deemed suitably safe for me to thaw him for a conversation. I commune with you now to convey what was learned, for it may prove vital to all enemies of the Eternal Solar Empire.

All know that the Emperor Rama I rules with immortal life beside a golden statue of his estranged wife Sita. All know that he claims immortality and refuses to bear an heir. Few believe he truly is immortal, for have not the gods forbidden such things? Are not the subjects of my very archive proof of the impossibility of true, living immortality? But Pandava claims otherwise. He tells a tale of a tribute granted once every century by one of the high noble families of Ayodhya consisting of a single handsome young high-elven man. They are told that they are being added to the Emperor's harem, for the Emperor refuses heirs, and so will only lie with men. They are told they will have a life of luxury, but will never again be part of the outside world. Indeed, they are never seen again. Pandava claims that he was such a tribute, and that his initiation into the harem, which he described in exquisite detail, was a highly ritualized arcane act of sex that seemed to bind his soul in some way to that of the Emperor. Pandava believes, although he hasn't the arcane knowledge to prove it, that the Emperor extends his life in this fashion, consuming the souls of his lovers. Pandava himself plotted and executed an escape from the harem that he had, until recently, believed was genuine.

It appears now that the Emperor let him go, a spy bound to his soul that he could possess at will across any distance. For more than a century the Emperor has been watching through his eyes, manipulating his deeds. Who knows how many more former lovers are unwitting spies throughout the Whorl.

I returned Pandava to stone. His companions rested and then set out into the deep desert to investigate the resurgent Cult of the Risen Son, the source of the attack upon the Archive. None of us know why the undead targeted me, nor why they seemed so interested in Pandava. We speculate a multi-faction power play in process, but the specifics remain occluded. I will update you should I learn more.

2000 XP = Total 10,560 XP

Gnarl has led us astray! I see that now. He accepted the bargain with the scabrous twins from the Fist. He permitted them to use us as hives for their undead insects. I could feel them burrowing in my flesh, feeding on my life force, but the strength they gave us! It seemed so good at first, but you have shown me my error.

Gnarl's lieutenant, Grazzit, kept me and seven of my brothers behind to guard the rear as Gnarl himself accompanied the scabrous twins to assault the Archive. I do not know what became of them inside, nor do I care. Your anger and fury has been made clear. Your sudden appearance amongst us caused confusion and consternation. Grazzit tried to convince us that your manifestation was some sort of trick, that the band of humans and elves that attacked us with ice and lightning and uncommon fury were playing on our loyalties with illusions, but your manifestation was so real, and spoke so directly to my heart that I could see only your wrath at our tribe's betrayal.

As I fled, barely alive, feeling the black scarabs gnaw my flesh, I saw Grazzit burst into insects, along with others of my fallen brothers. I knew, then, absolutely, that the attacking band of humans and elves were your wrath made manifest, our punishment for making common cause with the Cursed Ones from the Fist. Even though I saw the young human they left behind with their camels, I feared even him, harmless though he appeared. Your wrath can hide in many guises and there was… something about him… that raised my hackles.

Please, Mother of Monsters, take these insects from my flesh, cut them from me and spare me the fate of my pack-brothers! I am the only one to survive. The attackers are doubtless even now preparing to cleanse the cliffside monastery. May Gnarl and the Twins find your justice at their cruel hands.

2000 XP = Total 8560 XP

My Lord,

The Thar Desert Expedition is concluded, or at least all efforts have been made to ensure that the populace at large believes as much. The survivors have been lauded, feted, and rewarded for their discoveries. The Wizard's College has taken custody of the arcane slave collars used in the traitor Raj Sinhala's blood magic rituals, as well as the necrotic knife he used to such ill effect upon his loyal companions. The Bardic College of Lore retains possession of the Heart of the Titan, as well as the three Titan-control artifacts, but we both know that this nominal title means little. For all that the Expedition was funded by the Bardic College, they have not the means nor the expertise to unlock the secrets of these artifacts. I anticipate the Wizard's College will shortly possess them in fact if not in title or prestige.

As for Sanjaya Pandava, the official line is that he died a heroic death in pursuit of knowledge. His connection to Emperor Rama I and the fact that he may well have been inadvertently responsible for a century's worth of clandestine infiltration of the Kingdom is being suppressed. The Temple of Kali has been engaged to hunt down the Professor's various connections, assess them, and dispose of them if necessary. This has already resulted in some two-dozen deaths which I imagine your office will be hard-pressed to manage in the eyes of the public. I cannot promise the deaths will end soon, but I anticipate they will slacken significantly in the coming days as the guilty flee to deeper concealment and the obvious traitors are slain.

Nearly half of the dead so far are various menials and lesser underworld figures affiliated with the self-styled "adventurer" Shah Khan. It would appear that he had developed a significant information-gathering network within Videha and that he sold information to the highest bidder. I suspect Shah Khan is not a traitor in his heart so much as a mercenary beguiled by a possessed Professor Pandava's offer of great riches. Nevertheless, the Temple deemed this network a threat. It seems, however, that Tavi Agarwal has capitalized on Shah Khan's lieutenants' fear of imminent execution to seize the network for herself. Although she was chosen to accompany the Professor himself in the Expedition, her actions in staving off the Emperor's machinations and securing the Heart for Mithila puts her, currently, above suspicion. The Temple has moved on to other targets.

This brings me to the interesting problem of the Professor's surviving "Team Eka." All of them were hand-picked by an unwitting spy and unknowing traitor, yet their actions prevented Ayodhya's emperor's success. I wonder, now, whether Professor Pandava, in the depths of his subconscious mind, was aware that his hated former Emperor was manipulating him. I wonder if he made his choices, in part, to FOIL the plans with which he was not consciously aware. If so, ironically, these direct companions of the Professor's are the MOST trustworthy of the many associates he accumulated over the last century.

In any event, the decision has been made to send them out into the desert once more. Although we may be able to trust them, leaving them here in the political and social quagmire that is Videha would court unnecessary risks. Saatvik in particular, notwithstanding his increasing prestige within the Temple of Sarasvati, has something of a reputation for indiscretion. I fear what might casually drop from his lips concerning the Professor and the Emperor. Vinihata, although less incautious in some regards, remains an unpredictable element, and Panja is clearly uncomfortable in the city and craves a return to the desert. All this speaks to the wisdom of sending them out again as quickly as possible.

As for Xedris Thrannis, the revelation of his family surname is oddly comforting for our purposes, yet also a danger should he remain in the city. Until we've suppressed Ayodhyan infiltration, his assassination will always be a risk. I understand that sending him back out will necessarily curtail his studies within the Wizard's College, but I have taken some steps to ensure his education won't fall too far behind. As he studies the spellbook I've given him, his intelligence cannot help but grapple with the arcane problems therein, hopefully aiding him in his self-study.

I've consulted with “Arvind” and we agree that they would be best used investigating these rumors of the Cult of the Risen Son. If there is some truth to them, we would be well-advised to prepare for the threat they might represent. While these heroes of the Thar Desert Expedition publicly depart on that mission, Arvind will lead a more clandestine one to the third Titan location with the goal of plundering its Heart or rendering it unusable to Ayodhya.

Which brings me to one last detail. Saatvik was rewarded by his Temple with a Question of the goddess Sarasvati. He chose to use this question to inquire into the location of Ayodhya's secret Titan construction facility. He has provided that information to us. It would appear the Titan is being constructed below the surface of the Dawn Sea, nestled within the Greater Cut, rendering it relatively inaccessible from shore. It is currently unknown how the Emperor's experts and craftsmen get to the site let alone survive there in order to complete their work, but it is my hope that a more … targeted interrogation of the Imperial Scholars captured by the Expedition will reveal more. Our first priority should be to ensure the Emperor never gains control of a Heart, but failing that, we may need to prepare contingencies against the work site. I admit to some concern that Varuna or elements within his priesthood might be complicit in this. If so, there are divine implications far greater than what I'm equipped to assess.

1120 XP = Total 6560 XP (Lvl. 5)

Transcript of Telepathic Field Report from Ministry Operative “Arvind”

Deputy Minister,

Operative “Alia” and I arrived on scene via wind-walk magic with Elenwe Two-Toes, Acolyte Gopa, and 8 Enlightened Knights where we rendezvoused with the four remaining members of Professor Pandava's team. The professor himself was bound, injured, and unconscious while Initiate Xedris “Somabhakta” was nowhere to be seen. Much to our relief there was no occupying force of Ayodhyan military. It would seem that the Viridian Hive of the Kreen fought off an expeditionary force buying us some time. Acolyte Saatvik was quick to fill us in on events since Elenwe had departed.

After some time spent interrogating the scholars brought into the desert from Ayodhya, the Professor and his team opted to enter the buried wreckage of the Titan of the Sun to ascertain if any systems or artifacts were salvageable. They encountered resistance. An ancient, undead Suryan priestess occupied the heart of the immense and ruined machine. She still held some control over the active power systems, more specifically the Heart of the Titan, a marvel of thaumaturgical craft that, it appears, the Eternal Solar Emperor himself is most invested in recovering.

The Professor and his team succeeded in destroying the undead guardian and set to examining the artifact when suddenly an apparition of Rama I, Emperor of Ayodhya, manifested. He thanked Professor Pandava for being an unwitting fool for all these years. When asked by a shocked Professor Pandava why he would bother orchestrating Raj Sinhala's betrayal if it was entirely unnecessary, the Emperor reportedly said that it "amused" him to break the Professor's heart. The conversation as reported to me implies depths of interpersonal relationship previously unknown. Sadly, the conversation was cut short as Rama I "possessed" the Professor bodily. His first significant act was to turn to Xedris, disdainfully invoking his family name of "Thrannis", and invoke extravagant blood magic to pull Xedris bodily into Surya’s Prison using, apparently, thorned chains made of Xedris's own blood.

Although they had no chance of surviving a battle with a wizard as powerful as Rama I, the remaining four members of the team bravely sought to prevent him from successfully claiming the Heart of the Titan. Perhaps it was the idea of his expedition companions all standing on the cusp of death, or perhaps it was the risk that Vinihata would succeed in smashing the heart before it could be studied, but some part of Professor Pandava's will struggled to the surface. In his moments of lucidity, he begged his team to kill him, claiming that Rama I had, for an unknown number of years, been walking the streets of Videha in the Professor's body, assuming control when he believed he slept. The Professor rightly concluded he was an ongoing threat and needed to die.

Saatvik prayed to Sarasvati for insight, and opted instead to "kill" the Professor just long enough to drive out the Emperor before using his magic to stabilize him in an unconscious state. Saatvik claims the Professor still holds knowledge and secrets of value to the Goddess. Alia opines that the means by which Rama was able to possess the Professor would be invaluable intelligence for our efforts. Elenwe suggested a location previously discovered by the Professor's expedition, a place called the "Archive", where the Professor might be safely stored pending further investigation. I transported Elenwe, the unconscious Professor, his … unusual familiar, and Panja to the location of this Archive. You'll be fascinated to know that the "Archivist" is a member of a particularly rare, dangerous, and powerful Monster species known colloquially as a "medusa". Her "Archive" consists of ancient High Elves turned to stone. She turned the Professor into a statue for safekeeping. We spent the night in her Archive and departed the next day.

While we were gone, Alia worked with Saatvik and the others on attuning the Orb of the Titan reclaimed from the undead priestess and powering down the Heart so it could be safely removed. This process was still ongoing when I gathered the remaining four expedition members and gave them your proposal. I did not ask them to commit immediately, suggesting that first we must rescue Xedris from Surya's Prison. For all its terrible danger, the suggestion seemed to relieve them. Their commitment to their companion, who is by all accounts a somewhat stiff and unlikeable man, speaks strongly of the bond they have forged here in the desert, and confirms our decision to recruit them.

I prepared magic to protect them from the heat of Surya's Prison while Alia prepared to open the portal that would take us there. She used journals found in Xedris's effects as a focus to find him in the endless heat and chains and the five of us made a raid into hell.

We encountered Xedris's captor who I theorize was a Thrannis ancestor from the war, cast with his god into this place. The ties of blood between this ancestor and Xedris was what permitted the unfortunate wizard to be dragged bodily into this realm by chains of his own blood. We fought his captor and another, apparently incidental demon, and ultimately freed Xedris from his chains, dragging him back through the portal to the dig site.

Once Xedris has sufficiently recovered from his ordeal, I intend to bring the five of them back to Videha. They deserve accolades for their part in the sundry discoveries made, but I also want to debrief them in a more secure location and work out terms of service to the Ministry should they choose to join our efforts. My intention is to send them back into the desert to investigate the possible return of the Cult of the Risen Son. If there's an undead army massing out there we need to know about it. It seems that Tavi Agarwal is in possession of an item that permits the cult to communicate through dreams, and although dangerous, I thought it best left in their hands in case they could turn it to some positive use.

When next we speak it should be in person. I look forward to working with these five individuals again soon.

+1440 XP = 4640 XP

After departing the Viridian Hive, we elected to pursue the traitorous graduate student Raj Sinhala. It was clear he was an agent of Ayodhya, and we considered the harm he might do if left unchecked to be more immediate than the concerns raised by the other sites.

Professor Pandava continued in his deep depression, although in this state many of his masks and veils were dropped. He admitted to being a warlock of the Archfiend, but claimed that such studies pre-dated his departure from the Eternal Solar Empire and his admittance to the University. He claimed not to know anything about the traitorous warlock Cinder. The primary focus of his despondence and rage, however, was Raj. I know how close the two of them were in recent years.

We made a stealthy approach to the site of the buried Titan of the Sun provided to us, as well as to Raj, by the Hive-Queen. Panja and Tavi engaged in stealthy reconnoitering while Xedris provided aerial intel with his familiar. We discovered a work camp of about a hundred people just beginning to excavate the site. It became fairly clear that Ayodhya had an expeditionary force on standby awaiting a signal from the traitor to move on the site. I was reminded of how strongly Raj pushed to be assigned to that particular prospective site, and it's geographical proximity to Ayodhya would now seem to be the evident reason.

Further reconaissance showed that about 75% of the force were slaves, being thrown bodily at excavating the necrotic sands to ill-effect on their health. The other 25% were assorted scholars, soldiers, and slave-drivers under the command of the traitorous Raj. Most of our party except for me and the Professor engaged in a "snatch and grab" attempt on two of the soldiers when they departed to forage. Unfortunately, this attempt resulted in an alerted camp. The Professor and I attempted to join the fight, but it was over before we arrived.

Half the soldiery, along with the "famed adventurer" Shah Khan, attacked our smaller group. Fortunately, our druid used the terrain tactically to slow the charge and Vinihata incapacitated Shah Khan, stripping him of his various weapons and armor. We rendezvoused together and opted for a frontal assault on the remaining camp before they could organize. We left the incapacitated Shah Khan tied to a camel while we made our assault, which was perhaps not the wisest move. We also discovered that the soldiery all had brands on their left hands showing an obscure sigil of the House of Dasaratha… personal soldiers of Emperor Rama I.

As we arrived at the camp, the slaves were all being herded out to the necrotic ruins of the mostly-buried Titan while everyone else was hidden inside tents. More soldiers emerged and distracted us while the warlock, Cinder, began slaughtering slaves in the distant ruins. It was at first unclear why until Raj himself burst from one of the tents wrapped in shadowy chains with eyes burning like coals. It was clear he was possessed by some infernal power. He ranted at Professor Pandava, seeming to connect him to the Emperor by ties of blood. As we engaged Raj in combat, it became evident that Cinder's distant slaughter was empowering Raj somehow, but Vinihata put himself at considerable personal risk to shred the ritual bindings in the rug upon which Raj stood. Although Raj lashed about himself with shadowy chains that appeared to cause significant mental trauma to all they struck, we eventually were able to put him down.

By the time Professor Pandava was able to grant us immunity to the necrotic energies so we could enter the dig site, Cinder was long gone. About half the slaves were slaughtered. We recovered the other half. They all had intricate collars entwined with mystic sigils. Xedris and Saatvik determined that these collars tied the slaves' life energies to the demon bound inside Raj. As they died they empowered him. Xedris collected all the collars for study. As you are aware, I was tasked, alongside the freed goblin druid prisoner named Tinpot, to deliver these unfortunate here to Videha. I trust suitable authorities are questioning them for any relevant or valuable information on the Empire.

In the aftermath of the battle, the Professor admitted that his distant ancestor was the brother to Rama I. He, like most scholars, seemed dubious at Rama's claims to immortality, but could not provide a satisfactory theory as to how the ruse is maintained. The Professor was most surprised to learn from the captured scholars that Rama I is apparently trying to build a Titan of the Sun from scratch, but that his thaumaturgists lack the knowledge to reconstruct a Titan's heart, the power-source and engine that runs the thing. This was the purpose of the expedition and the betrayal. They wanted to take advantage of Professor Pandava's obsessive research in order to steal a Titan's heart.

The Professor, as well as the remaining members of Team Eka, have established themselves at the site of the Titan. He requests that the University send support staff and manpower to aid in its excavation.

You sent me on this expedition partly because of suspicions about Professor Pandava. Those suspicions seemed well-founded. Nevertheless, despite learning that he's a minor warlock of the Archfiend, and that he's a part of the royal family of Ayodhya, nothing the Professor has said and done contradicts his insistence that he is an exile from the Eternal Solar Empire, dedicated to the scholarly pursuit of uncovering the pre-war Empire's culture and art. The ranting of the traitorous Raj even seemed to confirm that Emperor's desire that the Professor "return to the fold," something the Professor was clearly unwilling to do.

Although these revelations canno help but impact Professor Pandava's reputation, he has yet to demonstrate that he is a spy or an enemy of the state. The academic value of his find cannot be underestimated. I recommend that the College, and the greater University, provide him the funding and manpower he requests, especially considering the site's proximity to Ayodhya.

+1140 XP = 3200 XP

The Memory of Zz'tak'szin, Queen of the Viridian Hive of the Three Hives of the Kreen

Despite my long memories, and the memories of my mother and her mothers before her, I think I will never fully comprehend the strange blindness through which those not of the People live their lives. A small clutch of them came before me some days ago thanks to the well-meaning introductions of the druid of the land who walked among them who named himself Tan Viper.

This druid did little of the talking, however. Their clutch-leader was a half-breed elf of the sun with darkness in his heart. He spoke of his hive-leader, a great scholar of the sun elves named Sanjaya Pandava, who sought knowledge of the ancient Titans of the Sun on behalf of the Kingdom of Mithila, and who had sent him, a loyal student and aide, to seek the long-memories of me and my mothers.

Behind his face hid lies. Few of my people are capable of comprehending true deceit, but I am not among them. I saw his disloyalty to this Pandava. I saw that he had loyalties elsewhere yet kept them hidden. Nevertheless, the nearest Titan is little more than twisted wreckage buried in sand, and so I gave him what he wanted, yet I sent my warriors to watch their departure carefully for clues to their intentions.

No sooner did they believe themselves beyond my sight then their leader and two confederates, the demon-born warlock and the self-important showman, stabbed Tan Viper with vicious weapons, slaying him near-instantly. Given that moment in which to attempt to defend himself, their fifth companion, a young human with eyes of the Land, was not taken so swiftly by surprise. It seems, though, that their leader, who named himself Raj Sinhala, stabbed him with a blade of the night and left him to bleed with a message for Pandava revealing his treachery and his loyalty to the accursed Solar Empire.

Once the betrayers left, at my direction, my warriors retrieved the wounded human, Arjuna Tenarrows, tended him as best they could, and brought him to the place of human trading, the ruined city of Sarya, to see if this Pandava or others of his hive would return. This plan was successful. Pandava and more of his hive came to Sarya, discovered Arjuna's fate, healed him through the unusual intermediation of a Great Scarab, and were invited to speak with me.

The news of Raj's betrayal struck Pandava hard, or so I deem from our eventual meeting. Their journey was not without incident. They were ambushed by ankhegs and were thoughtful enough to gift me with a jar of ankheg honey upon arriving at my Hive. Pandava and his six companions spoke with me. They had among them another druid of the Land, an earth-elf named Panja, who spoke most eloquently. Pandava himself seemed listless until I and the other sun-elf in their number, Xedris, drew him out on the subject of why he sought the Titans. He became animated about restoring the culture, civilization, and art of the pre-war Eternal Solar Empire, this time free of the corruption of Surya. I saw the truth in his words which offset my suspicions upon seeing the chains of the Betrayer wrapped about his spirit. It would seem his companions were ignorant of the chains, however, for when I offered them the boon of my long memories and insight, the devotee of the River Goddess asked about Pandava, and I told him this his hive leader was a warlock tied to the Archfiend. This seemed to be new information for him and his companions, but Pandava made no effort to deny it.

I showed them a memory of the fall of a Titan in the last days of the War and spoke to them about the dangers of repeating history. We shall see how many of my words remain in the short, foggy memories of their people. Nevertheless, at the conclusion of our meeting, I deem these members of Pandava's hive to be more trustworthy than the previous clutch. I wish them fortune in cleansing the sour clutch from their midst.

+1080 XP = 2060 XP

The Travel Journal of Aleeni Vas, Graduate Student, Bardic College of Lore

I shall be forever grateful to Professor Sanjaya Pandava and the rest of Team Eka for rescuing me from almost certain death at the hands of a hungry lamia. I can only attribute my bardic training in history, storytelling, and lore to my survival. The creature kept me alive only so long as I was an interesting conversationalist.

We spoke and laughed and feasted at her table of rich delights for what now seems to be days. At the time I thought nothing of it, so deep was I under her spell. Her villa in the midst of desert ruins was spilling with water, light, life, and luxury. Her conversation was scintillating, and apparently not entirely lies. Nevertheless, I thought nothing of it when my companions Danica Free and Sthisik suddenly decided to become the Lady's slaves, taking on a golden collar and serving us. I should have realized that was the point where the Lady had killed them and replaced them with illusions.

It seems Sindoor escaped after all, albeit as a slave to the scavenging jackalweres that lurk at the edges of the Lady's generosity feeding off her scraps. The Professor and Team Eka rescued her in Sarya, and it was her words that caused them to return to the Lady's villa in search of me and the remaining members of Team Dvi. It seemed, at first, that they too would fall under the Lady's spell. The Professor, and Saatvik certainly gave a good impression of having done so, though Vinihata seemed a rude guest. Perhaps it was his role to keep the others from becoming too complacent, but in hindsight it seems he was more interested in preventing his companions from eating any of the food…

The food. I shouldn't think about it, I shouldn't dwell on it, but despite their every efforts to protect me from the knowledge, in my heart I know that I have eaten the flesh of my companions, Danica and Sthisik, and it makes my heart and body sick.

The druid Panja broke the spell, entering the villa courtyard like a desert wind, pointing an accusing finger at the Lady and demanding that she reveal herself. A sudden silence blanketed the banquet. As the Lady came under threat the only thing I could do was leap to her defense, enraged that such a kind, generous, lovely, and knowledgeable woman should be assaulted in her own home. It didn't take long, however, for the offenses of her guests to provoke her to sufficient anger to reveal herself… a beastly lion-creature with the upper torso of a woman. She nearly slew Vinihata, and her three jackalwere servants harassed Panja and Xedris, but ultimately the Professor and Team Eka slew her, ignoring her pleas to let her live for a boon. Only one jackalwere escaped into the desert.

With the Lady dead, her illusions faded. The luxurious villa became dilapidated, its glories dimmed. The servants vanished. I had fainted. I was roused elsewhere in the courtyard, kept from looking as Team Eka built a bonfire and disposed of the remains of the feast table. Xedris, bless his soul, did his best to silence the indiscreet commentary of Sattvik on the subject of those remains. I shouldn't think about it. I should focus on the mission.

Tavi had found the lamia's chambers, and within them a golden sceptre and a golden crown, both set with a clear gem casting gentle light. Xedris determined that these were the control crown and control rod for a Titan of the Sun! During my ensorcelment the lamia had told tales of expeditions into the wastelands dawnward and spinward from her home, and the terrible rotting curse that had befallen all those who had penetrated the secrets to be found there. It seems the Professor's information was correct after all, the village of cultists that led us to the Lady's home did have useful information on former expeditions that may have found one of the Titans, and the Lady had procured their treasures before presumably eating them.

I was filled in on the Professor's own discoveries, and added my meager notes to his map. We seem to be closing in on three possible locations of buried Titans, and have two priceless historical and magical artifacts related to them. So far, the Professor's expeditions have proven all his preliminary research valid. I can't wait to hear what successes Team Tri has had.

+520 XP = 980 XP

The Journals of Xedris Thrannis SomabhaktaEntry 527, Decrypted and Translated

The last two days have been a wealth of information. Although I could spend decades here speaking with Vinyasa, the curse of his immortality begins to toll and I should not leave my companions without my guidance and talents for much longer. Sadly, I must depart the Archive and make all due haste to Sarya. Fortunately, the Archivist has promised some aid in that regard.

I suppose, for posterity, I should record some simple facts about the Archive and its wonders. The Parvati-worshiping mystics of Broken Spring led us here, a simple monastery carved into a sandstone cliff face, believing its keeper to be an "oracle." Based on this representation, Professor Sanjaya Pandava dismissed the Archivist as a fortune-teller, focused as he was on the geographical information provided, and on his goals. Nevertheless, I, along with Panja and Saatvik, ascended via bucket-and-pulley to consult with her.

How to describe the Archivist… she is clearly non-human, although she is certainly humanoid. She is swathed entirely in layered black silks and veils, although occasionally the head of a small emerald-scaled serpent can be seen poking its head out of her layered clothing. The Archive is carved into a cliff face, its hall lined with niches containing immaculate statues of high-Elves in various poses and states. The hall leads to a grotto open to the sky via a light-well carved upward through the rock. There is a circular pool with some plant life growing in it, and dozens more statues in various positions.

I won't belabor things. The statues are all living beings turned to stone by some art or quality of the Archivist. Each one of them is a high-elf who survived the Godswar nearly three thousand years ago. Each one of them chose not to join Surya in his prison, nor to join Aranyani in the Feywild, nor to give up their immortality. Each one, by so refusing, has been cursed by the gods to waste away in agony. Each one sought out the first Archivist who turned them to stone to preserve their knowledge against future need, and each one is occasionally returned to flesh to add to their knowledge before being frozen in stone once more.

I'm not entirely sure what manner of Monster the current Archivist (she says she's the Ninth) might be, but she has certainly found an excellent way to utilize whatever unnatural talents she possesses for the good of Civilization and the edification of future generations. I wouldn't have expected such dedication from a Druid, but perhaps I have misjudged them. Panja certainly treated her with elaborate respect, and they spent much of the first day we were here together discussing the secret lore of their order. I was more interested in Vinyasa.

To elaborate: the three of us inquired into the supposed "great evil" that had arisen once more, sending agents throughout the land poisoning springs with arcane artifacts imbued with necrotic energy. The Archivist indicated that the last time this sort of thing occurred it was the work of the Risen Son, and that she would thaw the one most able to tell us more about him. She selected one of her statues and re-animated him. After a moment of initial disorientation, he locked eyes with me and called me by my true family name. Clearly he saw some ancestor in my features. I pretended not to know what he spoke of and he shook off his confusion, but I decided then that I would seek private conversation with him if at all possible.

He told us that the Risen Son was a child during the Godswar, and when Surya fell he was just a teenager. He fled into the war-torn wastes that are now the Thar Desert refusing to give up his immortality and seeking a way to defy the gods. He found inspiration in Surya's example. Apparently during the war, Mahadeva would simply resurrect those of his faithful who would fall in battle, ensuring his army stayed ever-strong. Surya, seeking to emulate his father, attempted to imbue his fallen with esoteric fires and energies and successfully animated them once more, although they were souls trapped in dead flesh. The Risen Son, somewhere in the ruins of the ancient magical war machines of the Empire, discovered the arts whereby he could convert himself into a powerful undead, finding through this loophole a path to the immortality he sought to keep.

About a thousand years after the Godswar, the Risen Son led a cult of undead followers preaching the immortality of Surya through undeath. This cult dominated the Thar Desert, but was eventually suppressed and destroyed by a concerted military campaign led by the Kingdom of Mithila, and it hasn't been a known threat since. I created an illusion of the strange shard we found in the spring, and Vinyasa indicated that it looked very much like the blade of one of the swords wielded by the Risen Son's most faithful knights, weapons that could instantly re-animate the bodies of those they slew into loyal undead servants. There is some evidence, therefore, that at least some elements of the old Cult are still around even if we have no direct evidence that the Risen Son himself is still a threat.

While Panja and Saatvik returned to the expedition intended to head to Sarya to rendezvous with the other teams, I spent an additional day deep in study with Vinyasa. His knowledge of the arcane arts, while archaic, is dramatically more advanced than anything I've seen at the Wizard’s College of Mithila. He even gave me a spellbook in honor of his friendship with my ancestor who fought beside him in the war. I'll need to return someday to speak with him again, but he can only stay in flesh for so long before the gods' curse begins to fray at his life. The Archivist returned him to stone and arranged transport to Sarya via methods she has asked I not record.

I arrived in this desert caravansary and market-hub built into the ruins of an ancient city to hear of a disturbance. Asking around, it seems that Team Dvi ran into some difficulties. My own companions rescued one of their number from a line of slaves being sold by slavers who were, it turns out, Monsters known as "jackalweres", cursed and ensorcelled beasts who can take on the forms of men. They are remarkably resilient to weapons, but my companions managed to slay them anyway rescuing Sindoor. I'm resting in this tent, putting my thoughts to page, waiting for the ruckus to subside before I seek them out to learn the specifics. Perhaps I'll try this local delicacy of fermented camel's milk.

+460 XP = 460 XP

The expedition set out without a hitch. Professor Sanjaya Pandava leads our primary team while his two most advanced graduate students head the other teams. I am almost certain that all three of them have rudimentary magic enabling the exchange of messages, but I have thus far seen no evidence of regular collaboration across distance.

The Professor briefed all three teams on his unusual theories on the origin of necrotic energies and his hypothesis that the particularly potent, stationary "hot spots" for that energy in the Thar Desert represented buried engines of the old pre-war Solar Empire that are damaged or otherwise bleeding corruption into the surrounding soil. The three teams were to split up to three different villages with the intention of gleaning local knowledge of these locations for further investigation and potential excavation. As you made clear to me, under no circumstances are Professor Pandava's scrolls to fall into hostile hands. His proprietary spell to ward against necrotic energy would be a boon to enemy militaries seeking to cross the desert against us. I took custody of his scrolls, which he relinquished readily and with no apparent suspicion.

The rest of the team seems competent enough. There's no cause for suspicion thus far for any of them. We set off for Broken Spring, an oasis-village of mystics devoted to Parvati. It is somewhat distant from the more traveled caravan routes, and Professor Pandava believed they would be a useful source of information about the energies of death in the desert. When we arrived, however, we discovered no signs of activity. The sharp-eyed among us noted corpses.

Tavi Agarwal and Vin infiltrated the village while the rest of us prepared for trouble. The corpses animated and attacked. After a short exchange of violence, the five corpses and assorted animated severed limbs were rendered inanimate. Professor Pandava's contributions to the combat were minimal, mostly due to the insistence of multiple members of the team that he stay out of harm's way. While this was frustrating from the point of view of my own, particular mission it made tactical sense to preserve the only person capable of protecting us from necrotic energies. He did, however, note movement in the distance, which caused us to be alert to potential non-zombie dangers.

Sure enough, Sattvik detected subterranean motion and caused a localized earth tremor which resulted in the eruption from the ground of a… disturbingly large scarab beetle. It appeared in all ways to be an ordinary scarab beetle except for its unnatural size. It didn't attack, acting more like an ordinary insect, treating us warily, but clearly drawn to the zombie-corpses. Some experimentation by Sattvik and Panja showed that the creature seemed drawn to sources of necrotic energy. Professor Pandava cast a spell he claimed could detect such energies and made a beeline for the settlement's oasis pool where he indicated a source of necrotic energy was poisoning the water. Panja accepted the Professor's necrotic ward magic and went swimming, uncovering an unusual magic device that had clearly been planted there. This device was dangerous to touch and seemed capable of poisoning water sources. Sattvik used some of the budget of Charges to identify the device, discovering that it had been constructed specifically to curse water such that anyone drinking it would sicken and die and rise again as undead.

We secured the device, but it became clear that the enormous scarab was strongly attracted to it. The academics among us posited that the scarab was an example of a creature known to have been summoned by priests of Surya before and during the Godswar, and further guessed that this particular creature may, itself, have been alive that long ago. This excited the Professor, who wanted to determine a method to capture or keep the creature despite the obvious logistical difficulties of transporting a large, wild creature through the desert. Furthermore, the creature started glowing as it consumed necrotic energy. It seemed to be safely consuming it and transforming it into radiant energy. Needless to say, this excited the Professor, who took it as more evidence of his… unpopular theories.

Sattvik, Panja, and Xedris theorized that an ancient invocation to Surya might compel or otherwise manipulate the beast. Xedris advised strongly against invoking the Archfiend. Sattvik indicated he would not do so, but was comfortable enough transcribing such a prayer and handing it to others. Professor Pandava revealed he knew a number of old pre-war prayers, and decided to perform one.

This "prayer" was a ritual, and it resulted in the creature becoming something akin to the Professor's familiar. So. We now have a giant insect known to be a sacred symbol of the Archfiend (that can shoot beams of hot light and eats necrotic energy) accompanying us. I should take a moment to note that the Professor gave every indication of being befuddled at the incredible success of his ritual. This is fully in keeping with the persona he has presented for the last century.

Panja invoked the goddess Parvati to speed the healing of the oasis and we tracked the survivors of the village dawnward and anti-spinward into a region of the desert unmarked on our map. We eventually found them at the base of a monastery or other settlement carved into a cliff face. They were invoking the inhabitant, who eventually deigned to speak with their representative. We observed from a distance after making initial contact with them. After they consulted with the monastery inhabitant, they spoke with us. These survivors, the aforementioned mystics of Parvati, reported that a human male entered their village and partook of their hospitality before leaving the next morning. A day later, they started to fall ill, some of them succumbing and rising again. They were not equipped to combat the risen dead, and fled, seeking the advice of "the Oracle", hoping to gain information about the man who violated hospitality codes and brought death to a place dedicated to life.

We informed them that we had cleansed their village, and in return, their leader spent some time providing the information the Professor sought, as well as other useful notations on our map. She also conveyed what the Oracle told her, that in a deep ruin a "sleeping evil" has awakened once more, and through its agents, seeks to spread death wherever there is life.

The Professor, ever-fixated on his own goals, wants to press on to Sarya where we're to rendezvous with the other two teams. I hope to learn more about this mysterious Oracle before we go, but the decision ultimately is not mine.

I'll write more when I know more. Currently, Professor Pandava has been consistent in his self-portrayal as an obsessive academic with an unusually disparate set of talents. I have seen nothing actionable by the Knight-Provost at this time. I hope to send this entry, and subsequent ones, back to Videha with one of our agents once I reach Sarya.